Nintendo has consistently changed the gaming landscape over the past few generations of its hardware. The DS made two displays on a handheld work, the Wii introduced motion control as the main input on a console, and now the 3DS ships with a glasses-free display as standard. The next hardware iteration will be the Wii 2, and during GDC this week Nintendo gave a hint that it may also sport 3D output.

A demonstration given on stage by Nintendo producer Hideki Konno had the existing Wii hardware outputting glasses-free 3D. The demo used was Mario Kart Wii and, just like the 3DS, there was a slider for adjusting the 3D output. Only on the Wii the slider is controlled with the Nunchuck.

In order for this to work a special display was required to output the 3D, so this isn’t going to work on 99% of the TVs we have in our homes. That begs the question: why show this off in public?

There are two conclusions we can come to about this tech demo. The first is that Nintendo just wanted to show everyone it can do 3D on a console, but chooses not to. The second is that Nintendo sees the 3D technology used in the 3DS making the transition to its next console which will be the Wii 2.

In order for that to happen we need 3D capable TVs. They are not common at the moment, but the number of new models supporting such output is growing. There’s also the available slider to turn off 3D, so if you don’t have a compatible TV it doesn’t matter.

I think Nintendo will wait and see just how well the 3DS does before deciding on 3D for its next console. My main concern is how fast your eyes are meant to get tired viewing such output on the 3DS. If it’s less than an hour then I can’t see it working any better on a larger display with games we all sit and happily play for several hours in some cases.

I have a 3DS pre-ordered and will receive it launch day, but I am by no means convinced 3D is the future for gaming, or indeed TV in general. The reason I am buying a 3DS before trying one is because you can turn the 3D off and still enjoy the games. That’s the killer feature for me: the choice to 3D or not as well as owning the next-gen Nintendo hardware of course.

If Nintendo does decided to embrace 3D for the next Wii I don’t expect it to be called Wii 2. I’d expect Nintendo may favor Wii 3D.